Reserve 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT   STATION 

BERKELEY,    CALIFORNIA 

CIRCULAR  178 

October,  1917 

(Eeprinted  January,  1919) 

(Eevised  March,  1927) 


THE  PACKING  OF  APPLES  IN  CALIFORNIA 


WAEEEN  P.  TUFTSi 


par-  mtr^l'r^    w 


J*.  / 


Small  display  of  packed  apples  put  up  by  students  of  the  University  Farm  School 
after  twelve  hours  of  practice. 


INTRODUCTION 

Apples  well  graded  and  attractively  packed  will  sell  at  a  profit 
when  others  of  similar  quality  but  poorly  displayed  may  fail  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  buyer.  With  13,000  acres  of  young  apple  trees 
coming  into  bearing  and  with  55,000  acres  at  present  producing  in 
California,2  the  grower  will  be  confronted  by  a  gradual  increase  in 
the  state's  apple  production.     The  problem  of  the  disposal  of  this 

1  Assistant  Professor  of  Pomology  and  Associate  Pomologist  in  the  Experi- 
ment Station. 

2  California  Crop  Eeport,  1925.  State  Dept.  Agr.  Special  Publication  No.  63. 
Sacramento,  Calif.,  1926. 


2  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

crop  is  further  complicated  by  the  fact  that  unlike  the  orange,  peach, 
and  prune,  the  apple  is  universally  grown  and  must  meet  competition 
from  all  sections  of  the  United  States.  In  order,  therefore,  to  market 
the  California  apple  successfully,  the  highest  standards  of  grade 
and  pack  must  be  attained. 

According  to  the  United  States  Census  figures  for  1910,  apples 
from  the  Pacific  northwest  of  the  previous  year  sold  for  40  cents  more 
per  box  than  did  those  from  California.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
northwestern  states  began  more  than  a  decade  ago  to  concentrate  on 
a  high-class  grade  and  pack  for  their  fruit.  The  same  was  true  of 
some  of  the  other  states  to  the  eastward  while  the  majority  of  the 
California  growers  allowed  themselves  to  fall  behind  in  this  regard. 
However,  it  is  not  too  late  to  improve  on  these  conditions  and  the 
recent  state  legislation  is  a  step  in  the  right  direction.3 

During  past  seasons  many  California  apples  have  been  profitably 
disposed  of  in  European  markets  and  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that 
in  the  future  first-class  fruit  carefully  handled  will  continue  to  find 
a  ready  sale  provided  the  grade  and  pack  compare  favorably  with 
the  best  from  other  sections.  The  best  fruit  only  should  be  carefully 
graded  and  packed.  Throwing  on  the  market  second-grade  produce 
of  any  kind  tends  to  lower  the  price  of  the  fancy  grades  and  for  this 
reason  alone  fruit  growers  should  refrain  from  glutting  the  market 
with  poor  stock.  Furthermore,  the  orchardist  should  dispose  of 
his  second  and  third-grade  apples  to  fruit  evaporators  and  vinegar 
factories  and  pack  only  his  first-grade  or  fancy  fruit. 

Due  to  the  comparatively  short  period  of  consumption  of  summer 
apples  it  is  often  unprofitable  to  pack  such  varieties  as  the  Yellow 
Transparent,  Tetofsky,  and  Red  Astrachan.  Also,  it  is  a  question 
if  it  would  be  profitable  for  California  growers  to  pay  the  cost 
of  packing,  transportation  and  storage  on  varieties  of  poor  quality, 
such  as  the  Ben  Davis.  Varieties  of  high  quality,  however,  like  the 
Gravenstein,  Winesap,  Yellow  Bellflower,  and  Yellow  Newtown  will 
undoubtedly  pay  for  careful  handling. 

THE    BOX    FOR   CALIFORNIA   APPLES 

Various  boxes  have  at  one  time  or  another  been  employed  in  the 
packing  of  apples.  Of  recent  years  only  two  or  three  have  been 
widely  used,  but  as  late  as  1904  seven  different  sizes  of  apple  boxes 
were  to  be  found  on  the  Seattle  market.     At  the  present  time  Cali- 


3  California  Standard  Apple  Act  of  1917  (as  amended  for  1925).  A  copy  of 
this  law  may  be  obtained  upon  request  to  the  California  State  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Sacramento,  California. 


ClRC.  178]  THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA  3 

fornia  has  discarded  all  others  in  favor  of  the  so-called  "Northwest 
Standard"  apple  box  (fig.  1,  b),  the  dimensions  of  which  are 
IOV2  X  HV2  X  18  inches,  inside  measurement,  and  the  "California" 
or  "Watsonville  Standard"  (fig.  1,  a),  9%  X  H  X  20i,i  inches, 
inside  measurement.  Hereafter  in  this  discussion,  for  the  sake  of 
brevity,  the  term  "Standard"  will  always  have  reference  to  the 
"Northwest  Standard"  box,  and  the  term  "California"  will  refer 
to   the   "California"   or   "Watsonville    Standard"   box.      With   the 


Fig.  1. — a,  ll Calif ornia ' '  apple  box;   b,  "Standard"  apple  box. 

exception  of  the  Watsonville  district  there  is  a  general  adoption  of 
the  "Standard"  box  in  California  as  this  is  the  package  which  is 
not  only  the  most  widely  used  throughout  the  United  States,  but  also 
the  one  which  is  best  adapted  to  the  various  sizes  and  shapes  of  all 
of  our  commercial  varieties  of  apple. 

Apple  boxes  come  in  the  "knock-down"  form  and  when  ordering 
box  material  or  "shook,"  as  it  is  called  by  the  trade,  perhaps  all  the 
grower  need  specify  is  the  type  of  box  and  its  inside  measurements. 
The  following  should  be  the  dimensions  of  the  "shook"  for  the 
"Standard"  apple  box,  but  in  some  localities  difficulty  may  be  ex- 
perienced in  securing  such  material. 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


STANDARD  APPLE   BOX 

10%  X  11%  X  18  in.,  inside  measurement. 
2  pes.  ends  %  X  10%  X  11%  in. 
2     "    sides  3/8  X  10y2  X  19y2  in. 
4     "    T.  &  B.  y4X  51/4X1934  in. 
4     "    cleats  %  X  3/4  X  11%  in. 

Use  cement-coated,  common  6d  nails;  32  nails  to  box.     There  are 
23,600  6d  cement-coated  nails  in  a  keg. 


THE    HANDLING    OF   APPLES    FOR    PACKING 

Since  every  step  in  the  handling  of  fruit  from  the  time  it  leaves 
the  trees  until  it  is  sold  has  such  a  vital  bearing  upon  the  successful 
sale  of  the  product,  the  leading  co-operative  fruit-growers'  organiza- 
tions now  regard  the  operations  of  picking,  grading,  packing,  etc., 
as  legitimate  parts  of  the  marketing  process.  After  careful  consider- 
ation of  the  matter  the  California  Fruit  Growers'  Exchange  has 
decided  that  the  "production"  of  the  crop  ceases  when  the  fruit  is 
ripe  on  the  trees  and  that  the  agency  that  is  ultimately  to  market  the 
product  should  take  charge  of  it  at  this  point.  The  organizations 
were  forced  to  take  this  position  because  the  growers  of  citrus  fruits 
failed  to  appreciate  the  necessity  for  handling  their  fruit  with  due 
care,  thus  vitiating  the  efforts  of  the  marketing  agencies  to  get  satis- 
factory returns  for  the  product.  Apparently  this  view  will  shortly 
prevail  among  growers  of  apples,  pears,  and  other  deciduous  fruits. 
Too  much  stress,  therefore,  cannot  be  laid  upon  the  importance  of 
proper  harvesting  methods. 

There  are  two  necessary  considerations  to  be  borne  in  mind  when 
harvesting  the  apple  crop;  first,  the  time  to  pick,  and  second,  how 
to  pick. 

Time  to  Pick. — The  grower  may  be  inclined  to  delay  the  picking 
of  his  apples  beyond  the  proper  stage  of  maturity  in  order  that  they 
may  become  larger  in  size  or  take  on  a  better  color.  According  to 
Whitehouse,4  there  is  a  quite  marked  increase  in  the  amount  of  color 
during  the  last  few  days  before  picking,  and,  consequently,  under 
certain  association  rulings  where  amount  of  color  is  considered,  delay 
in  picking  various  apple  varieties  may  raise  the  fruit  from  a  lower 


4  Whitehouse,  W.  E.   A  study  of  variation  in  apples  during  the  growing  season. 
Oregon  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Bui.  134:1-13.     1916. 


CIRC.  178]  THE    IJACKJNG    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


Fig.  2. — Two  types  of  tripod  ladders. 


b  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

to  a  higher  grade.  There  is  also  a  gradual  increase  in  size,  but  this 
merely  follows  the  general  growth  ratio  for  the  entire  season,  while 
in  the  case  of  color  the  rate  of  increase  is  much  greater  during  the  last 
week  or  ten  days. 

There  may  be  likewise  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  some  growers 
to  pick  too  soon  in  order  to  take  advantage  of  the  high  prices  often 
obtainable  for  certain  varieties  during  the  earlier  part  of  the  season. 

During  the  past  few  years  considerable  work  has  been  done  on 
fruit  maturity  with  the  pressure  tester.  Magness5  found  that,  at  the 
proper  picking  time  the  range  of  pressure  for  apples  varied  from 
15-19  to  20-25  pounds,  depending  upon  the  variety.  Investigations 
conducted  by  the  Experiment  Station  through  one  season  indicated 
that  17-21  pounds  would  be  about  the  best  picking  range  for  the 
Gravenstein  variety.  It  seems  very  probable  that  in  the  near  future 
the  pressure  tester  will  be  used  extensively  in  determining  the  proper 
stage  of  maturity  for  harvesting  fruit. 

If  the  apples  are  to  be  consumed  locally,  it  is  perhaps  better  to 
allow  the  fruit  to  remain  upon  the  trees  somewhat  longer  than  other- 
wise would  be  advisable  in  order  that  they  may  take  on  a  better  size, 
color,  and  a  somewhat  higher  quality.  The  general  rule  to  follow  in 
determining  when  to  harvest  is  to  note  the  color  of  the  seeds  which, 
in  case  of  most  varieties,  should  be  brown.  Color  of  the  fruit  is  taken 
by  some  growers  as  the  deciding  factor  in  determining  when  to  pick, 
while  others  rely  upon  the  falling  of  the  fruit  from  the  tree,  or  the 
ease  with  which  the  stem  of  the  applo  may  be  separated  from  the 
fruit-spur.  In  order  to  pick  the  fruit  at  the  proper  stage  of  maturity, 
the  grower  should  learn  the  traits  and  characteristics  of  each  variety 
he  is  handling;  for  example,  the  Gravenstein  has  a  tendency  to  fall 
before  ripening,  the  Jonathan  at  time  of  ripening.  Gravensteins 
which  hang  too  long  are  likely  to  be  subject  to  core-rot,  while  the 
White  Winter  Pearmain  may  be  left  on  the  trees  several  weeks  after 
most  varieties  have  been  picked.  Summer  apples  should  be  picked 
somewhat  green  if  intended  for  shipment,  as  they  have  a  tendency 
to  drop  badly  when  ripe.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  yellow 
and  green  colors  may  change  for  the  better  in  an  apple  after  picking, 
while  the  reds  change  very  little,  if  at  all.  It  costs  more  to  pick  over 
the  trees  twice,  but  this  cost  will  generally  be  more  than  offset  by 
the  increase  in  color  and  size  of  the  remaining  fruits.     In  the  final 


5  Magness,  J.  E.,  and  George  F.  Taylor.  An  improved  type  of  pressure  tester 
for  the  determination  of  fruit  maturity.  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Department  Cir. 
350:1-8.     1925. 


CIRC.  178]  THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


Fig.  3. — Pointed  picking  ladder. 


8  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

analysis,  however,  the  grower  must  decide  the  proper  time  of  picking 
for  himself,  considering  the  variety,  season,  soil,  shipping  distance, 
and  similar  factors. 

How  to  Pick. — The  apple  should  be  harvested  by  hand.  The 
soft  parts  of  the  hand  should  be  used,  care  being  taken  to  see  that 
the  pickers  have  finger  nails  clipped  short,  and  that  the  individual 
fruits  are  not  pinched  by  the  fingers  in  removing  them  from  the  fruit- 
spurs.  Here  again,  a  Lawver  will  withstand  more  careless  handling 
than  will  such  varieties  as  the  Jonathan,  Yellow  Bellflower,  and 
Ortley.  The  foreman  of  the  picking  gang  will  have  made  much 
progress  toward  the  desired  end,  if  he  can  impress  upon  each  worker 
the  idea  that  the  fruit  should  be  handled  as  carefully  as  eggs. 

The  apple  is  best  removed  from  the  fruit-spur  by  a  simple  bending 
or  twisting  in  one  direction  with  the  thumb  against  the  stem  of  the 
fruit  at  the  junction  of  the  stem  and  spur.  Fruits  should  never  be 
pulled  or  jerked  straight  away  from  the  spur  as  this  is  likely  to  either 
pull  out  the  stem  entirely,  or  else  cause  a  breaking  of  the  skin  at  the 
insertion  of  the  stem  in  the  fruit.  Under  the  present  California  law 
all  stemless  apples,  except  Gravensteins,  go  in  the  lower  grades. 

When  selecting  a  picking  receptacle  it  is  well  to  remember  that 
if  the  picker  is  allowed  to  use  both  hands  fewer  fruit  spurs  will  be 
broken  off,  and  in  addition  a  much  cleaner  and  quicker  job  of 
harvesting  done. 

The  ease  with  which  an  apple  may  be  picked  depends  very  largely 
upon  the  variety  and  the  stage  of  maturity.  Unless  care  is  taken 
in  harvesting  the  apples  produced  on  spurs,  severe  injury  may  be 
caused  to  the  spurs  themselves  and  inasmuch  as  these  spurs  are  the 
fruiting  machinery  of  the  tree,  and  remain  profitable  for  many  years, 
it  behooves  the  grower  to  exercise  caution  in  the  picking  of  this  crop 
not  to  injure  his  prospects  for  the  years  to  come.  After  a  spur  is 
once  destroyed  it  is  practically  impossible  to  replace  it  on  the  old, 
strong  wood  which  is  best  able  mechanically  to  bear  a  heavy  load 
of  fruit. 

Picking  Receptacles. — There  are  several  very  satisfactory  picking 
utensils  on  the  market.  Some  growers  prefer  baskets  of  one  kind 
or  another,  either  with  or  without  padding.  Some  use  a  plain,  large, 
galvanized  iron  pail,  padded  or  unpadded.  One  of  the  advantages 
claimed  for  the  pail  when  used  without  padding  is  that  the  foreman 
can  readily  detect  pickers  doing  careless  work  by  the  sound  of  the 
fruit  as  it  is  dropped  into  the  bucket.  Baskets  and  buckets  are 
provided  with   hooks   for  hanging  in  the  trees  or  on  the  ladders. 


Circ.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


Apples  should  be  carefully  placed  in  the  receptacle  and  never  thrown 
or  dropped.  Probably  the  two  most  popular  picking  receptacles  are 
the  picking  bag  and  the  patented  picking  bucket  with  a  bottom  so 
arranged  that  the  fruit  may  be  emptied  without  bruising.  The  better 
types  of  picking  bags  are  also  provided  with  a  patented  emptying 
device  for  the  bottoms,  and  a  ring  at  the  top  to  hold  the  mouth  open. 
When  selecting  a  picking  bag  or  sack,  one  should  be  sure  that  the 


mm?  i  "  #;4/.:  ; 


Fig.  4. — Picking  bench. 


sack  will  hang,  when  partially  or  wholly  filled,  so  that  it  will  be  in 
no  danger  of  coming  between  the  workman  and  the  ladder  or  main 
branches  of  the  tree,  thus  causing  severe  bruises  to  the  fruit.  The 
picking  bag  or  apron  probably  enables  the  fastest  picking,  but  care 
must  always  be  exercised  to  see  that  too  much  fruit  is  not  placed 
in  such  a  receptacle  at  one  time,  and  that  in  one  way  or  another  all 
chances  of  bruising  are  avoided. 

Lug-Boxes. — The  orchard  boxes  or  lug-boxes  into  which  the  fruit 
is  emptied  from  the  picking  receptable  should  be  of  fairly  heavy 
material,  wide  enough  to  enable  the  basket,   bucket,   or  bag  to  be 


10 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


lowered  to  the  bottom  for  emptying,  and  preferably  with  ends  raised 
above  the  sides  so  that  when  filled  with  apples  and  piled  one  above 
the  other  there  will  be  no  danger  of  bruising  the  top  layer  of  fruit. 
The  ends  also  should  have  grooves  cut  into  them  to  facilitate  handling 
when  filled.  Lug-boxes  should  have  a  capacity  of  about  one  packed 
box  of  fruit. 

Ladders. — A  well-constructed  tripod  or  three-legged  ladder  (fig.  2) 
is  by  far  the  most  satisfactory  for  general  use.  Such  a  ladder  is 
more  stable  than  a  four-legged  ladder  under  the  rough  conditions 
experienced  in  the  average  orchard  and,  furthermore,  has  the  advan- 


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H 

4  Strayhf  fi>ck 
IIS  Apples 


B 

Ofrsel  3-J  fboA 
JOSfyples 

Fig.   5 


D/QQonol  J-Bfhch 
7/3  Apples 


tage  of  being  so  constructed  that  it  may  be  set  up  in  the  midst  of 
an  only  moderately  open-headed  tree.  There  are  many  types  of 
ladders  in  common  use  in  the  orchards  of  California,  it  being  possible 
even  to  purchase  a  tripod  ladder  especially  designed  for  side-hill 
work  and  so  constructed  that  the  steps  are  always  horizontal,  no 
matter  how  steep  the  hill  or  what  the  position  of  the  ladder.  Apple 
trees  in  California  have  not  as  yet  reached  the  size  attained  in  the 
East,  where  special  long  ladders  have  to  be  laid  against  the  trees  in 
order  to  reach  the  fruit,  and,  under  our  methods  of  pruning,  probably 
never  will.  In  the  apple  orchards  of  the  state  it  is  rarely  necessary 
to  place  the  ladder  against  the  tree,  and  such  practice  should  be 
avoided  whenever  possible  on  account  of  the  danger  of  needlessly 
destroying  fruit-spurs.     The  type  of  ladder  shown  in  figure   3   is 


Circ.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF   APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


11 


not  placed  in  such  a  position  that  injury  to  the  tree  may  occur  and 
on  account  of  its  lightness  and  strength  can  be  strongly  recommended 
for  apple  picking. 

One  of  the  best  arrangements  which  the  writer  has  observed  is 
the  use  of  a  low  bench  standing  approximately  three  feet  high  and 
broad  enough  to  hold  a  lug-box  (see  fig.  4).  The  picker  can  place 
in  the  box  thus  held  all  fruit  which  he  is  able  to  pick  from  the  ground 
and  then,  standing  on  this  bench,  can  pick  considerably  more.  Men 
with  these  benches  are  sent  ahead  of  the  main  picking  crew  to  remove 
all  the  fruit  hanging  low  in  the  trees,  thus  saving  a  great  many  apples 


o 


a 


b 


°o°a 
°o° 


n 

B 

C 

D/ojonof  £-/  feck 

D/ojo*q/2-2  fbck 

Dtoqono/  ££  Rick 

4 J App/es 

6+ApfJes 

Ta  Apples 

Fig.  6 

from  being  knocked  off  and  lost  by  teams  hauling  lug-boxes  in  and 
out  of  that  section  of  the  orchard. 

Hauling. — The  truck  used  for  hauling  apples  should  be  low  for 
ease  in  loading  and  to  enable  its  use  under  low-trained  trees ;  it  should 
also  be  easy  riding  to  prevent  any  unnecessary  bruising  of  the  fruit. 


GRADING 

Grading  is  a  classification  of  fruits  according  to  size,  color,  shape 
and  blemishes.  "The  Standard  Apple  Act  of  1917"  specifies  that 
all  apples  sold  in  closed  containers  shall  consist  of  one  of  three  grades. 
To  grade  apples  for  the  market  involves  two  more  or  less  distinct 
operations,  viz.,  sorting  and  sizing. 


12 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Sorting. — From  the  very  nature  of  the  work  sorting  for  color, 
shape,  and  blemishes  of  any  kind  must  be  done  by  hand,  either  at  the 
time  of  picking  or,  as  in  the  case  of  apples,  in  the  packing  house. 
The  sorter  should  have  explained  to  him  very  definitely,  the  exact 
limitations  of  the  different  grades  and  his  work  should  be  carefully 
supervised  and  frequently  checked.  The  packer  should  likewise  be 
impressed  with  the  idea  that  no  matter  how  conscientious  the  sorter 
may  be,  it  remains  with  him  to  make  the  final  selection  and  upon  him 
in  large  measure  depends  the  quality  of  the  output.  The  fruit  is 
brought  from  the  field  in  lugs  and  is  then  sorted  into  "California 


Ft 

Dtaaonol  ££Fbdi 


a 

D/ogotia/  ZBftcA 
eeApples 

Fig.  7 


c 

Diagonal  £-2Qct' 
96A/pks 


Fancy,"  "B,"  and  "C"  grades,  and  culls.  At  the  present  time  the 
pack  put  up  by  many  individuals  in  the  state  is  really  superior  to 
that  designated  in  the  law  as  "California  Fancy."  And  since  the 
trade  knows  these  brands,  such  packers  have  little  or  nothing  to  gain 
by  labeling  their  best  grade  as  * '  California  Fancy. ' '  This  new  enact- 
ment will,  however,  go  a  long  way  toward  raising  the  general  standard 
of  the  California  product  and  pack,  and  the  growers  in  turn  will 
inevitably  profit. 

Sizing. — After  being  sorted  the  apples  are  sized  by  machinery 
before  going  to  the  packers'  table  or  sized  by  hand,  either  by  the 
packer  at  the  time  of  packing  or  separated  into  the  various  sizes  by 
other  workers  before  reaching  the  table.  In  most  instances  where 
the  latter  scheme  is  employed  the  apples  are  only  roughly  divided 
into  three  groups.     In  the  Pajaro  Valley  the  following  divisions  are 


Circ.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


13 


made :  those  fruits  larger  than  2%  inches  in  diameter ;  those  ranging 
from  2%  down  to  21/4  inches;  and  those  smaller  than  2V4  inches  in 
diameter.  With  these  groups  before  him  it  remains  with  the  packer 
to  do  the  final  sizing. 

On  account  of  the  relative  shallowness  of  the  "California"  box, 
it  is  impracticable  to  use  apples  of  the  same  diameter  throughout  the 
pack  without  having  the  top  layer  so  high  that  it  is  almost  impossible 


Diagonal  £-£  Rrck 
/Of- Apples 


B 

D/oyonol  J£  fhck 
138  Apples 

Fig.  8 


OlOQOnQI  J~tt  feck 

/SO  Apples 


to  put  on  the  cover.  The  California  law  allows  a  variation  of  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  between  apples  in  the  same  box.  In 
a  well-packed  "Standard"  box,  however,  the  apples  should  not  vary 
more  than  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 


STYLES   OF    PACK 

There  are  three  styles  of  apple  packs  in  use  in  California;  the 
"square"  or  "straight"  pack  (fig.  5,  a)  ;  the  "offset"  pack  (fig.  5,  6)  ; 
and  the  "diagonal"  "diamond,"  or  "pear"  pack  (fig.  5,  c). 

"The  "straight"  or  "square"  pack  is  employed  for  those  apples 
which  by  reason  of  their  size  and  shape  can  be  placed  cheek  to  cheek 
and  just  fill  the  width  of  the  box  without  forcing  and  yet  closely 
enough  so  that  a  sheet  of  paper  cannot  be  inserted  between  fruits 
nor  between  fruit  and  box.  The  fruits  in  the  second  layer  rest 
directly  on  top  of  those  in  the  bottom  layer  and  so  on  until  the  top 


14 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


is  reached.  It  is  readily  seen  when  the  lid  is  applied  under  pressure 
that  the  only  possible  way  to  avoid  crushing  the  fruit  is  to  take  care 
that  the  pack  does  not  come  above  the  level  of  the  top  of  the  box. 
As  will  be  pointed  out  later,  a  bulge  is  absolutely  necessary  if  the 
fruit  is  to  carry  well  and  therefore  the  packer  is  left  only  one  other 
alternative  and  that  is  to  choose  some  other  style  of  pack. 

The  "off-set"  pack  until  the  last  few  years  was  quite  widely  used 
in  certain  apple-producing  sections,  but  has  been  generally  discarded 
on  account  of  the  relatively  large  empty  spaces  left  in  each  layer; 
otherwise  this  pack  is  entirely  satisfactory.     Inasmuch  as  this  style 


n 

D/agona/  3-£  R>ck 


B 

D/o^ono/  5-£  /dcA 
/J5  Apples 

Fig.  9 


c 

Diagonal  5  ~B  fbck 
J88Apple3 


of  pack  has  been  widely  experimented  with  for  apples  and  as  widely 
discarded,  there  seems  to  be  no  good  reason  for  its  adoption  by 
California  growers. 

The  "diagonal"  pack  has  proved,  after  extensive  trial,  to  be  the 
most  thoroughly  satisfactory  in  all  respects.  The  apples  in  the  second 
layer  instead  of  resting  on  one  point  of  contact  with  the  fruit  in  the 
first  layer  have  three  points  of  contact.  When  the  lid  is  put  on  and 
the  pressure  applied,  the  fruit,  instead  of  bruising,  is  simply  settled 
more  firmly  in  the  spaces  left  for  this  purpose. 

The  pack  in  the  "California"  box  is  generally  designated  as 
a  "3-tier,"  "3y2-tier,"  "4-tier,"  "4%-tier,"  or  "5-tier"  pack. 
Unfortunately  there  is  considerable  confusion  in  the  minds  of  many 


CIRC.  178]  THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


15 


m^^jr~"~"JL.            i 

1 

A*| 

■V 

*^Mr5-r 

&s-  ^^       -^-- 

Fig.  10. — Progressive  steps  in  the  wrapping  of  an  apple  for  box  packing. 


16  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

as  to  exactly  what  is  meant  by  the  term  ' '  tier. ' '  The  sense  in  which 
the  term  is  here  used  means  that  when  apples  are  of  such  a  size  that 
three  of  them  will  just  fit,  cheek  to  cheek,  across  the  end  of  a  box, 
such  a  size  of  fruit  is  called  a  "3-tier"  apple.  Likewise,  when  four 
apples,  cheek  to  cheek,  just  fit  across  the  end  of  the  box,  we  have  a 
"4-tier"  size.  All  apples  ranging  in  size  between  these  two  comprise 
what  is  technically  known  as  a  "3V2-tier"  size.  It  is  evident,  there- 
fore, that  a  three  or  four-tier  apple  will  be  somewhat  different  in 
boxes  of  varying  widths. 

In  determining  the  diameter  or  size  of  an  apple  it  is  invariably 
measured  from  cheek  to  cheek,  rather  than  from  stem  to  blossom-end. 
In  California,  apples  smaller  than  4V2-tier  are  seldom  packed.  This 
method  of  designating  the  size  of  the  fruit  contained  in  the  box  is 
at  best  clumsy  as  compared  with  the  exact  method  employed  by  giving 
the  actual  count  of  the  apples  contained.  Those  growers  who  still 
use  the  term  "tier"  to  designate  size  give  as  their  reason  that  in  this 
way  they  can  dispose  of  their  undesirable  sizes  by  including  them 
under  the  same  pack  with  those  most  desired.  Under  this  plan  there 
may  be  as  great  a  variation  as  fifty  apples  in  a  box,  but  all  sell  as 
4%-tier  apples.  It  is  plain  then  why  the  street  venders,  hotel  trade, 
and  various  other  retailing  agencies  much  prefer  to  buy  apples  know- 
ing exactly  how  many  fruits  will  be  found  in  each  box.  This  is  of 
especial  importance  to  those  who  retail  fruits  by  the  dozen.  That 
the  trade  would  eventually  give  its  preference  to  that  fruit  which 
comes  to  the  market  in  "Standard"  containers  and  plainly  marked 
on  the  outside  as  to  variety,  grade,  date  of  packing,  and  number  in 
the  box  was  wisely  foreseen  by  those  who  drafted  the  "Standard 
Apple  Act  of  1917." 

The  list  of  apple  packs  given  below  is  designated  for  the  ' '  Standard" 
box,  the  inside  dimensions  of  which  are  10%  X  11%  X  18  inches. 
The  same  table  may  be  employed  in  calculating  the  number  of  apples 
contained  in  tfce  "California"  box,  although  on  account  of  the  differ- 
ent shape  it  will  be  found  impossible  with  certain  sizes  of  some 
varieties  to  avoid  the  "square"  pack  as  can  be  done  with  the 
"Standard"  box.  These  two  boxes  are  very  nearly  identical  as  to 
cubic  contents. 


Circ.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


17 


1 

lpple  Packs 

Number  of  fruits 

Style  of 

Number  of  fruits                      Layers 

in  box 

pack 

in  row 

deep 

225 

5  straight                        9  long 

5 

200 

5       " 

8    " 

5 

213 

3X2  dia 

gonal               9X8  long                     5 

200 

3X2       < 

1                        8X8     ' 

5 

188 

3X2       ' 

<                         8X7' 

(                       5 

175 

3X2       < 

7X7     ' 

5 

163 

3X2       ' 

1                         7X6' 

5 

150 

3X2       ' 

6X6     ' 

5 

138 

3X2       ' 

6X5     ' 

5 

125 

3X2       ' 

'                         5X5' 

5 

113 

3X2       < 

5X4' 

5 

120 

2X2       ' 

8X7     ' 

4 

112 

2X2       < 

7X7     ' 

4 

104 

2X2       ' 

7X6     ' 

4 

96 

2X2       ' 

'                        6X6' 

4 

88 

2X2       ' 

6X5     ' 

4 

80 

2X2       ' 

5X5     ' 

4 

72 

2X2       ' 

5X4' 

4 

64 

2X2       ' 

1                         4X4' 

4 

56 

2X2       ' 

'                         4X3' 

4 

48 

2X2       < 

3X3     ' 

4 

50 

2X1       ' 

6X5     ' 

3 

45 

2X1       ' 

5X5' 

3 

41 

2X1       ' 

1                        5X4' 

3 

36 

2X1       ' 

'                         4X4' 

3 

:,2 

2X1       ' 

1                         4X3' 

3 

Needless  to  say  the  sizes  32  to  56,  inclusive,  are  more  for  exhibition 
purposes  than  for  the  general  market.  Packs  72  to  163,  inclusive, 
contain  the  chief  commercial  sizes.  The  bottom  layer  of  representa- 
tive packs  listed  in  the  above  table  is  illustrated  in  figures  6  to  9. 


THE  USE  OF  PAPER  FN  THE  PACKED  BOX 

Lining  Paper. — Paper,  known  to  the  trade  as  " white  news,"  is 
used  to  keep  out  dust  and  odors.  When  starting  to  pack  a  box  two 
sheets  of  this  paper  are  placed  in  the  box  in  such  a  way  that  they 
overlap  on  the  bottom  and  are  folded  over  the  sides  of  the  box  during 
the  process  of  packing.  After  the  fruit  is  in  place  these  ends  are  in 
turn  folded  over  the  finished  top  of  the  pack.  It  is  well  to  give  the 
lining  paper  an  extra  crease  at  the  bottom  so  that  when  the  pack  is 


18 


UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


finished  and  the  lid  applied,  the  bulge,  which  is  then  distributed 
between  the  top  and  bottom,  will  not  tear  the  lining  along  the  bottom 
side. 

Layer  Paper. — A  light  spongy  cardboard  or  porous  blotting  paper 
is  placed  on  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  packed  fruit  to  absorb  excess 
moisture.  A  sheet  of  this  paper  is  put  in  the  box  as  soon  as  the 
lining  paper  is  in  place,  before  starting  the  packing  proper,  and  the 
second  sheet  is*  placed  over  the  finished  pack  just  prior  to  folding  over 
the  ends  of  the  lining  paper  preparatory  to  nailing  on  the  top.  Layer 
paper  was  formerly  used  in  some  apple  sections  between  each  layer 


H 

How  to  s fort  a   2~1 
PfQQonat  Rick 


B 

How  to  start  a  £~B 
Otagonat  Pbck 

Fig.  11 


c 

How  to  start  Q  3~2- 
Diagonal  fbcA 


of  fruit  or  between  one  or  two  layers,  but  this  practice  has  been 
largely  discontinued  as  it  was  found  in  most  instances  to  be  an  un- 
necessary precaution.  For  local  shipment  it  is  perhaps  not  necessary 
to  use  layer  paper. 

Wrapping  Paper. — The  paper  which  is  placed  around  each  indi- 
vidual fruit  is  one  of  the  most  important  features  in  a  successful  pack. 
Dimensions  of  wrapping  paper  are  given  on  page  21.  The  advantages 
of  wrapping  each  fruit  may  be  enumerated  as  follows : 

1.  Checks  transpiration,  thus  reducing  loss  of  weight. 

2.  Acts  as  a  cushion,  preventing  bruises  encountered  both  in  pack- 

and  and  shipping. 

3.  Prevents  the  spread  of  decay  by  confining  the  disease  to  the 

one  fruit. 


Circ.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


19 


** 


*3 


Is 


m 


^ 


3 

QTQ* 


20  UNIVERSITY    OF   CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

4.  Tends  to  maintain  the  fruit  at  a  more  even  temperature,  thus 

probably  prolonging  its  period  of  consumption. 

5.  Gives  more  finished  appearance  to  the  pack,  especially  if  a 

small,  attractive  design  is  printed  on  each  wrapper,  which  is 
in  addition  a  good  advertisement. 

The  beginner  often  raises  the  question  as  to  the  additional  time 
required  to  pack  wrapped  apples.  Experience  has  shown  that  after 
a  few  days'  practice  a  man  can  wrap  and  pack  faster  than  he  can 
pack  without  wrapping.  The  actual  time  devoted  to  wrapping  is 
but  a  fraction  of  the  total  time  involved  and,  what  is  more  important, 
the  fruit  stays  "put,"  while  if  packed  without  wrapping  the  chances 
are  more  than  even  that  when  an  apple  is  placed  in  the  box,  other 
apples  will  be  moved  from  their  proper  places  and  thus  much  time 
be  lost. 

Figure  10  shows  in  some  detail  one  of  the  methods  used  in  wrap- 
ping. There  are  several  very  satisfactory  "wraps"  and  every  packer 
as  he  acquires  skill  generally  devises  some  system  of  his  own,  although 
nearly  all  such  short-cuts  are  modifications  of  one  or  two  distinct 
"wraps."  The  method  shown  by  the  illustration  is  perhaps  the 
simplest  and  when  faithfully  followed  gives  maximum  speed. 

Figure  10,  a,  shows  the  packer  in  the  act  of  picking  up  the  wrap- 
ping paper  with  his  left  hand,  having  at  the  same  time  picked  an 
apple  from  the  packing  table  with  his  right  hand.  Note  the  rubber 
fingerstall  on  the  fore-finger  of  the  left  hand.  By  the  use  of  this 
fingerstall  the  thin,  single  sheets  of  wrapping  paper  are  easily  picked 
up.  Some  packers  use  a  rubber  thumbstall,  but  the  swinging  or 
sweeping  motion  obtained  by  this  little  device  when  placed  on  the 
fore-finger  gives  the  greatest  speed.  The  apple  is  next  tossed,  stem 
up,  into  the  paper  held  in  the  left  hand,  and  the  right  hand,  with  no 
lost  motion,  is  brought  into  the  position  shown  in  figure  10,  b.  At  no 
time  during  the  wrapping  process  does  the  right  hand  grasp  either 
the  paper  or  the  fruit,  its  function  being  merely  to  offer  a  rather  solid 
working  surface  for  the  left  hand.  It  should  be  mentioned  that  the 
paper  is  picked  up  by  the  thumb  and  fore-finger  toward  one  corner 
and  the  apple,  being  tossed  into  the  palm  of  the  left  hand,  leaves  more 
paper  below  than  above  the  fruit.  The  next  step  is  accomplished  by 
continuing  the  upward  movement  of  the  right  hand  and  the  turning 
down  of  the  palm  of  the  left  hand,  as  shown  in  figure  10,  c.  The 
fourth  step  in  the  wrap  is  the  twisting  of  the  fruit  with  the  left  hand, 
the  right  hand  being  held  firmly  in  place  and  at  no  time  grasping  the 
paper  or  fruit.     See  figure  10,  d.    Figure  10,  e,  shows  the  last  step, 


CIRC.  178]  THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA  21 

namely,  the  left  hand  placing  the  wrapped  fruit  in  the  box  after 
having  placed  the  fingers  over  the  loose  ends  of  the  twist,  and  the 
right  hand  reaching  for  another  apple. 

The  neatness  of  the  pack,  which  materially  influences  the  profitable 
disposal  of  the  fruit,  depends  largely  upon  the  care  given  to  the  wrap- 
ping of  the  individual  apples  and  the  placing  of  each  in  the  box  so 
that  the  ends  of  the  wrapping  paper  are  tucked  out  of  sight.  When 
properly  wrapped  and  packed  these  loose  ends  act  as  a  cushion  for 
the  fruit.  The  use  of  paper  of  proper  dimensions  for  the  various 
sizes  of  apples  will  also  aid  in  securing  neatness. 


Fig.  13. — Packed  box  of  apples  showing  proper  bulge  of  both  top  and  bottom. 

Rules  for  Use  of  Paper: 

Use    8X8  inch  paper  for  188  count  and  smaller. 

9X9"         "         "      175   to    125   count,   inclusive. 
10  X  10    "         "         "      112  to  80   count,  inclusive. 
12  X  12    "         "         "      72  count  and  larger. 

Wraps  for  packing  100  boxes  of  apples 50  lbs. 

Lining  paper  for  packing  100  boxes  of  apples 7%    ft 

Cardboard  for  packing  100  boxes  of  apples 15-16    " 

Lining  paper,  17%  X  26  inches  for  the  Standard  box,  runs  30  sheets  to  the 

pound. 
Layer  paper,  11  X  17%   inches  for  the   Standard  box,  runs  14  to   15   sheets 

per  pound. 
Wrapping  paper,  10  X  10  inches,  runs  310-325  sheets  to  the  pound.    However, 
there  is  a  variation  in  this  weight  due  to  the  varying  qualities  of  paper 
used. 


22  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


DETAILED    INSTRUCTIONS    FOR    PACKING    A    BOX 

After  having  put  in  place  the  lining  and  layer  paper  the  next  step 
is  to  start  the  pack,  proper. 

The  2X1  pack,  used  very  little  commercially,  takes  care  of  all 
apples  larger  than  three  across  the  end  of  the  box.  This  pack  should 
always  be  three  layers  deep.  Figure  6,  a,  shows  the  first  and  third 
layers  of  this  pack.  Place  an  apple  in  either  corner  of  the  box  and 
then  continue  as  shown  in  figure  11,  a,  always  placing  the  apple  on 
its  cheek,  with  stem  directly  away  from  the  packer,  keeping  the 
spaces  equal  in  size,  watching  the  alignment,  and  finally  ending  so 
that  the  apples  are  held  firmly  in  place  by  the  pack.     The  second 


Fig.  14. — Showing,  a,  too  little  bulge;  b,  proper  bulge;  c,  too  much  bulge. 

layer  is  packed  in  the  spaces  left  by  the  first  layer  and  the  third 
layer  in  turn  is  packed  in  the  spaces  left  by  the  second  layer. 

The  2X2  pack  takes  care  of  all  apples  larger  than  four  across 
the  end  of  the  box  up  to  and  including  those  just  large  enough  to  go 
three  across  the  end.  This  pack  should  always  be  four  layers  deep. 
Figure  12,  a,  shows  the  first  and  third  layers  and  figure  12,  h,  shows 
the  second  and  fourth  layers  of  this  pack.  Place  an  apple  in  the 
lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  box  and  then  one  between  this  apple 
and  the  right-hand  corner  so  that  the  spaces  between  the  first  apple 
and  the  second  apple,  and  between  the  second  apple  and  the  right- 
hand  corner  of  the  box  are  the  same.  The  next  two  apples  are  placed 
in  the  spaces  thus  left  and  then  continue  as  shown  in  figure  11,  b, 
always  placing  the  apple  on  its  cheek,  with  stem  directly  away  from 
the  packer,  keeping  the  spaces  equal  in  size,  watching  the  alignment 
and  finally  ending  so  that  the  apples  are  held  firmly  in  place  by  the 
pack.  The  second  layer  is  packed  in  the  spaces  left  by  the  first  layer, 
the  third  layer  in  the  spaces  of  the  second  layer,  and  the  fourth  layer 
in  the  spaces  of  the  third  layer. 


CiRC.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


23 


The  3X2  pack  takes  care  of  all  apples  larger  than  five  across 
the  end  of  the  box  up  to  and  including  those  just  large  enough  to 
go  four  across  the  end.  This  pack  should  always  be  five  layers  deep. 
Figure  12,  c,  shows  the  first,  third,  and  fifth  layers,  and  figure  12,  d, 
shows  the  second  and  fourth  layers  of  this  pack.  Three  apples  are 
first  placed  in  the  box,  one  at  either  corner  and  the  third  in  the  center. 
The  next  two  apples  are  placed  in  the  spaces  thus  left  and  then  con- 
tinue as  shown  in  figure  11,  c,  always  placing  the  apple  on  its  cheek, 
with  stem  directly  away  from  the  packer,  keeping  the  spaces  equal 
in  size,  watching  the  alignment  and  finally  ending  so  that  the  apples 


Fig.  15. — A  type  of  mechanical  sizer.  Note  sorting  table  at  right  with  canvas 
drapers  for  carrying  the  fruits  to  the  cups  by  which  they  are  thrown  into  the 
various  compartments.  The  lighter  the  apple  the  further  it  is  thrown.  The  fruit 
is  packed  directly  from  these  bins. 


are  held  firmly  in  place  by  the  pack.  The  second  layer  is  packed 
in  the  spaces  left  by  the  first  layer,  the  third  in  spaces  of  the  second 
layer,  the  fourth  in  the  spaces  of  the  third  layer,  and  the  fifth  in  the 
spaces  of  the  fourth  layer. 

The  five-tier  straight  pack  takes  care  of  all  those  apples  that  are 
just  large  enough  to  pack  five  across  the  end  of  the  box.  This  pack 
is  always  five  layers  deep.  Figure  12,  e,  shows  this  pack  in  which 
all  layers  are  the  same.  This  is  the  only  apple  pack  to  be  used  when 
one  apple  rests  squarely  on  top  of  another. 

In  those  cases  where  three  or  four  apples  just  fit  across  the  end 
of  the  box,  the  diagonal  pack  should  be  used.  The  fact  that  in  the 
past  many  apples  have  been  packed  in  the  " California"  box  by  the 


24 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


"square"  or  "straight"  pack  should  have  no  influence  in  deter- 
mining the  style.  A  "straight"  pack  should  be  avoided  whenever 
possible  on  account  of  the  great  amount  of  bruising  caused  by  this 
system.  Furthermore,  the  spaces  left  between  the  fruits  are  too 
large.  It  may  be  urged,  in  addition,  that  with  the  "California"  box 
certain  sizes  and  varieties  cannot  be  packed  unless  a  "straight"  pack 
is  employed,  but  this  is  all  the  more  reason  for  definitely  adopting 
the  "Standard"  box,  with  which  the  markets  of  the  world  are  most 


Fig.  16. — Burlap  or  canvas  top  packing  table. 


familiar  and  in  which  it  is  practicable  to  pack  all  varieties  and  sizes 
by  the  "diagonal"  system. 

It  should  further  be  stated  that  with  certain  sizes  of  some  varieties 
it  is  necessary  to  pack  the  fruit  either  stem  up  or  stem  down  rather 
than  on  the  cheek,  but  when  this  is  done  care  should  be  exercised  to 
see  that  the  stems  are  all  turned  in  the  same  direction.  The  general 
rule  should  be  to  pack  apples  on  the  cheek  whenever  possible.  Never 
allow  the  apples  to  slip  sideways  as  this  is  likely  to  cause  stem- 
puncture  and  in  addition  spoils  the  alignment  and  causes  the  spaces 
to  be  uneven  in  size.  In  order  to  secure  the  bulge  of  from  %  of  an 
inch  to  IV2  inches,  counting  both  top  and  bottom,  which  is  required 
on  all  box-packed  apples,  care  must  be  exercised  to  so  place  the 


CiRC.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


25 


fruits  that  the  height  of  the  pack  is  built  up  faster  in  the  center 
than  at  the  ends  of  the  box.  This  extra  height  of  the  apples  in  the 
center  is  attained  by  packing  the  fruit  in  the  rows  at  either  end  so 
that  the  shortest  diameter,  as  measured  from  cheek  to  cheek,  comes 
directly  up  and  down,  the  fruit  being  invariably  placed  on  its  side. 
After  packing  the  first  two  rows  next  to  the  end  of  the  box  in  this 
way,  the  apples  should  be  turned  so  that  the  longest  diameter  from 


Fig.  17. — Table  for  packing  fruit  direct  from  the  lug-box. 


cheek  to  cheek  will  be  up  and  down.  As  the  farther  end  is  reached 
the  apples  should  again  be  placed  with  the  short  diameter  up  and 
down  as  at  the  other  end  of  the  box.  If  attention  is  paid  to  this 
detail  in  packing  each  layer,  little  trouble  will  be  experienced  in 
securing  the  proper  bulge  and  the  fruit  will  not  be  too  high  at  the 
ends.  For  a  "diagonal"  pack  the  fruit  should  not  be  more  than 
one-quarter  or  three-eighths  of  an  inch  above  the  ends.  The  looser 
the  pack,  the  higher  the  fruit  may  be  built  up  and  no  bruising  result 
when  the  top  is  applied.  The  "square"  pack  must  be  held  down  to 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  less  at  the  ends. 


26  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


BOX   PACKING    PROBLEMS 

When  preparing  apples  for  exhibit  the  packer  is  interested  in 
knowing  how  his  pack  is  to  be  scored  and  what  points  are  to  be 
considered  by  the  judges  in  determining  the  best  commercial  box. 
Undoubtedly  the  following  points  would  be  considered  and  perhaps 
an  equal  value  given  each,  as: 

Bulge    20  points 

Height   at   ends 20      " 

Alignment    20      " 

Firmness    20      " 

Evenness 20      " 

Total 100      " 

Bulge. — As  stated  above,  the  total  bulge  should  be  at  least  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch,  but  probably  not  more  than  an  inch  and  a  half, 
including  both  top  and  bottom.  Preference  is  given  to  a  box  with  a 
total  bulge  of  about  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  quarter  (see  fig.  13). 
This  bulge  is  extremely  important  in  that  it  makes  the  package 
flexible  and  as  the  fruit  shrinks  in  storage  and  shipment  the  slack 
is  taken  up  and  the  pack  remains  firm.  The  method  of  obtaining 
the  bulge  has  already  been  discussed.  Figure  14  shows  a  pack  having : 
a,  too  little  bulge ;  b,  a  correct  bulge ;  and  c,  too  much  bulge. 

Height  at  Ends. — The  method  of  obtaining  correct  height  at  the 
ends  has  perhaps  already  been  discussed  in  sufficient  detail.  The 
beginner,  however,  will  undoubtedly  have  considerable  difficulty  in 
securing  the  desired  result  unless  extreme  care  is  exercised.  The 
packer  should  not  be  discouraged  if  the  first  few  boxes  have  to  be 
repacked  three  or  four  times  before  the  fruit  comes  to  the  correct 
height.  The  proper  bulge  and  height  at  ends  should  be  striven  for 
throughout  all  the  layers  and  not  left  until  the  top  layer  is  reached. 
When  the  pack  invariably  comes  high  it  may  be  necessary  to  use  cleats, 
such  as  are  used  in  nailing  on  tops  and  bottoms  to  prevent  splitting, 
in  order  to  raise  the  height  of  the  ends  of  the  box,  but  this  should  be 
done  only  rarely  and  cannot  be  recommended. 

Alignment. — If  the  apples  have  been  correctly  sized  and  well 
packed,  the  fruit,  as  shown  by  the  top  layer,  will  line  up  vertically, 
horizontally  and  diagonally.  This  well-groomed  appearance  is  an 
important  factor  in  the  profitable  disposal  of  the  fruit.  Not  only 
is  proper  alignment  a  great  asset  so  far  as  appearance  is  concerned 
but,  in  addition,  unless  each  layer  is  correctly  aligned,  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  complete  the  pack  satisfactorily  on  account  of  difficulty 


CiRC.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


27 


encountered  in  trying  to  secure  fruits  of  varying  sizes  to  fit  the 
different  sized  spaces  left.  Naturally,  it  is  not  permissible  to  start 
the  pack  with  one  size  of  fruit  and  then  shift  to  another.  If  it  is 
found  that  there  are  not  enough  apples  of  the  right  diameter  on  the 
packing  table  to  finish  the  box,  it  may  be  set  aside  and  another  size 
begun. 

Firmness. — Firmness  of  arrangement  in  the  box  is  of  prime  im- 
portance in  a  good  commercial  pack.  The  apple  should  be  placed 
in  the  box  in  such  a  manner  that  the  individual  fruits  cannot  be 


Fig.  18. — One  type  of  box-press. 


moved  by  placing  the  hand  upon  a  layer  and  exerting  a  firm  pressure 
in  all  directions.  The  packer  finds  very  often,  wlien  coming  to  the 
end  of  a  layer,  that  his  last  row  lacks  %  or  %  of  an  inch  of  reaching 
to  the  end  of  the  box.  The  beginner  is  inclined  to  think  this  is  close 
enough,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  Under  such  circumstances  apples 
of  somewhat  longer  diameter  must  be  used  either  throughout  the 
layer  or,  at  least,  in  the  last  two  or  three  rows.  After  making  several 
unsuccessful  attempts  to  use  apples  of  somewhat  longer  diameter 
or  different  shape,  it  may  be  found  that  an  incorrect  pack  is  being 
used  and  some  other  style  should  be  adopted  for  that  particular 
variety  and  size.  To  give  an  idea  as  to  the  correct  firmness,  after 
packing  the  first  layer,  one  should  be  able  to  turn  the  box  on  its  side 


28  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

without  any  of  the  fruit  falling  from  place.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
fruit  must  not  be  jammed  or  crowded  into  position,  thus  causing 
unnecessary  bruising.  After  a  box  is  packed,  it  should  be  possible 
to  put  a  straight-edge  along  the  side  of  the  box  and  no  bulge  be 
noticeable.  This  particular  point  is  important  inasmuch  as  the 
packed  boxes  are  always  piled  and  shipped  on  the  side  and  should 
there  be  any  bulge  in  this  direction  bruising  will  take  place.  Unless 
firmly  packed,  apples  upon  shrinking  in  storage  and  shipment  will 
become  slack  and  in  spite  of  the  beneficial  effects  of  the  " bulge," 
together  with  the  flexible  top  and  bottom,  some  fruit  will  be  bruised. 
Evenness. — The  box  should  be  so  packed  that  when  the  lid  is  put 
down  over  the  fruit  every  apple  in  the  top  layer  will  be  touched. 
There  should  be  no  low  or  high  spots.  It  is  extremely  important 
that  there  be  no  bulge  from  side  to  side  inasmuch  as  the  top  consists 
of  two  pieces  and,  being  put  on  under  pressure,  should  one  side  of 
the  pack  be  higher  than  the  other,  the  apples  along  the  center  are 
likely  to  be  cut.  The  pack  should  be  absolutely  flat  from  side  to  side. 
Likewise  if  the  lid  does  not  touch  certain  of  the  fruits,  these  are  likely 
to  become  loose  and  be  bruised  in  handling.  The  greatest  difficulty 
is  caused  by  putting  side  by  side  fruits  of  differing  diameters  or 
perhaps  more  accurately  stated  (because  fruits  are  supposed  to  be 
accurately  sized),  turning  one  fruit  with  long  diameter  one  way  and 
placing  the  adjacent  fruit  on  the  short  diameter  side.  Trouble  from 
unevenness  seems  to  be  somewhat  greater  when  fruit  is  packed  with 
stems  up  or  down  than  when  packed  on  the  cheek.  In  addition  to 
convenience,  an  even  pack  is  also  very  desirable  from  a  commercial 
standpoint.  It  has  often  been  pointed  out  that  the  consumer  pur- 
chases with  his  eyes;  a  good  even  pack  makes  a  strong  appeal  to  the 
prospective  buyer. 

HANDLING    FRUIT  IN   THE  PACKING    HOUSE 

The  packing  house  should  be  arranged  in  such  a  way  that  the 
fruit  will  pass,  with  the  least  amount  of  lost  motion,  through  the 
various  operations  of  unloading  from  the  orchard  wagon  into  tempo- 
rary storage,  sorting,  sizing,  packing,  nailing,  marking,  labeling,  and 
finally  moving  either  directly  into  cold  storage  in  connection  with 
the  packing  house  or  hauling  to  a  central  storage  plant  to  await  sale 
or  shipment.  The  individual  grower  must  give  considerable  study 
to  his  particular  needs  and  arrange  his  house  accordingly.  By  a 
systematic  arrangement  of  their  packing  houses  some  growers  have 
been  able  to  reduce  the  expense  of  handling  from  2  to  8  cents  per 


Circ.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


29 


box  below  their  former  costs.     Only  a  few  brief  general  statements 
can  here  be  made. 

The  cheapest  form  of  packing  house  and  one  that  is  considerably 
used,  especially  in  the  newer  sections  where  but  few  crops  have  as  yet 
been  harvested,  consists  of  a  large  tent.  The  use  of  a  mechanical 
sizer  makes_the  use  of  such  a  house  make-shift  feasible  on  account 
of  the  greater  speed  of  the  packers  and  consequently  the  less  room 
needed  for  temporary  storage.     A  good  packer  will  put  up  125  to 


Fig.  19. — Another  type  of  box-press. 


200  packed  boxes  a  day  when  the  fruit  is  sized  for  him,  as  against 
50  to  75  boxes  when  he  sizes  the  fruit  himself.  More  permanent 
packing  houses  to  accommodate  an  orchard  of,  say  40  acres,  will  cost 
from  $2000  to  $8000,  according  to  the  type  of  construction.  Of 
course,  cheap  sheds  can  be  constructed  for  less  than  this,  but  such  a 
building  has  little  advantage  over  a  tent.  A  packing  house  should 
offer  some  protection  to  the  fruit  in  the  way  of  cool  storage  at  least 
and  to  obtain  this  requires  a  good  type  of  construction.  Probably 
the  community  packing  house  and  cold  storage  plant  will  prove  to 
be  the  most  satisfactory  solution  for  the  growers  in  many  sections. 
The  most  economical  movement  of  fruit  through  the  packing  house 
is  by  gravity.    Wherever  possible,  fruit  should  be  handled  by  means 


30  UNIVERSITY    OF   CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

of  gravity  carriers,  of  which  there  are  several  satisfactory  kinds  on 
the  market.  As  an  instance  of  the  saving  effected  by  these  carriers, 
the  case  of  one  packing  house  in  Watsonville  may  be  cited.  After 
installing  a  gravity  roller  carrier  about  fifty  feet  in  length,  the  out- 
put with  the  same  number  of  packers  was  increased  200  boxes  a  day 
and  the  labor  of  four  roust-abouts  discontinued.  With  proper  plan- 
ning of  the  packing  house,  gravity  carriers  may  profitably  be  installed 
in  such  places  as  from  the  unloading  platform  to  temporary  storage, 
from  the  storage  room  to  the  sorting  table,  from  packing  tables  to 
nailing  and  marking  bench,  and  from  nailing  bench  to  storage  room. 

The  fruit  as  it  comes  from  the  temporary  storage  goes  directly  to 
the  sorting  table  where  it  is  graded,  according  to  color,  shape,  and 
blemishes,  into  "California  Fancy,"  "B,"  or  "C"  grades,  and  culls. 
Sorting  is  done  at  this  stage  whether  the  fruit  is  later  sized  by  machine 
or  hand.  If  sized  by  machine,  two  grades  are  generally  accommo- 
dated at  one  time  so  that  the  sorted  apples  are  placed  directly  on 
the  sizing  machine,  the  remaining  grades  being  placed  in  boxes  con- 
veniently located  to  be  run  through  the  sizer  on  the  second  run. 
Packing  tables  holding  one  size  only  are  a  composite  part  of  the 
modern  sizing  machine  (fig.  15).  These  sizing  machines  formerly 
measured  the  diameter  of  the  apple,  but  the  present  tendency  is 
toward  a  machine  which  sizes  the  fruit  according  to  weight. 

Two  types  of  packing  tables  are  in  common  use  where  the  sizing 
is  done  by  the  packer.  Figure  16  shows  a  canvas  or  burlap-top  table, 
four  feet  square  and  capable  of  holding  about  three  boxes  of  apples. 
This  table  should  be  substantially  constructed.  Care  should  be  taken 
to  bevel  the  tops  of  the  legs  so  no  bruising  of  the  fruit  will  take  place. 
An  extra  piece  of  burlap  fastened  along  one  side  is  convenient  for 
quickly  cleaning  the  table  of  debris.  The  other  type  of  table  with 
top  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  shown  in  figure  17,  is  designed  to  enable 
the  packer  to  take  the  fruit  directly  from  the  lug-box  as  it  comes  from 
the  sorter,  thereby  preventing  any  bruising  which  may  be  occasioned 
by  rolling  the  apples  on  the  canvas-top  table  mentioned  above.  As 
shown  in  the  illustration  this  system  contemplates  the  packing  of 
three  or  four  sizes  at  one  time.  The  canvas-top  table  will  probably 
give  the  most  satisfactory  service.  In  both  of  these  illustrations 
attention  is  called  to  the  "paper-hod"  for  holding  the  wrapping 
paper  convenient  for  use.  A  spring  needle  is  placed  on  the  side  of 
the  "paper-hod"  to  hold  the  paper  in  place.  Either  form  of  packing 
table  as  well  as  the  "paper-hod"  can  easily  and  cheaply  be  made  by 
the  grower. 


Circ.  178] 


THE    PACKING    OF    APPLES    IN    CALIFORNIA 


31 


Another  very  important  piece  of  the  packing  house  equipment 
and  one  which  can  also  be  made  by  the  grower  is  the  " nailing"  or 
"box-press."  Figures  18  and  19  show  two  types  of  press.  In  both 
presses  the  opening  in  the  top  of  the  table  for  the  packed  box  should 
be  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  size  of  box  which  is  being  used, 
being  somewhat  longer  for  the  "California"  than  for  the  "Standard" 
box.  Likewise  the  iron  "goose-neck"  in  the  press,  features  in  figure 
19,  will  have  to  be  varied  according  to  the  box  used.  This  goose-neck 
is  the  most  important  feature  of  this  press,  enabling  the  tops  to  be 
quickly  and  conveniently  put  in  place.     The  latter  press  is  recom- 


■ig. 


20. — A  properly  packed  box  of  apples  presents  a  similar  face  on  top, 
bottom,  and  sides. 


mended  as  being  simpler  in  operation  and  therefore  cheaper  to  use. 
Tops,  cleats,  and  nail  stripper  should  be  conveniently  located  to  the 
nailing-press. 

As  the  top  is  nailed  on  it  is  generally  the  duty  of  the  nailer  to 
properly  mark  either  by  machine  or  stencil  the  following  information 
concerning  the  box:  Variety,  date  packed,  grade,  number  of  apples 
in  the  box,  net  weight,  and  the  name  and  address  of  the  person  or 
firm  doing  the  packing.  On  the  other  end  of  the  box  an  advertising 
lithograph  is  generally  pasted.  This  is  a  very  useful  means  of 
identification  and  a  valuable  advertisement  if  the  grower  keeps  up  the 
quality  of  his  pack.  This  lithograph  should  not  be  in  gaudy  colors, 
but  rather  in  tints  and  may  or  may  not  deal  with  fruit  or  fruit- 
growing scenes. 


